SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; this
हhaindeed; surely
एतत्etatthis; all this
ब्रह्माbrahmāBrahmā (brahmán — the creator); Brahmā; Brahmā
प्रजापतयेprajāpatayePrajāpati; to the Lord of creatures
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
प्रजापतिःprajāpatiḥPrajāpati; the lord of creatures
मनवेmanaveto Manu (dative); to Manu; to Manu
मनुःmanuḥto Manu; the progenitor
प्रजाभ्यःprajābhyaḥto the creatures (prajā, dative plural); to his offspring; to the offspring
आचार्यकुलात्ācāryakulātfrom the teacher's house (ācārya-kula, ablative); from the ācārya's family; from the guru's home
वेदम्vedamthe Veda; knowledge
अधीत्यadhītyahaving studied; having studied
यथाविधानम्yathāvidhānamat the appointed time (yathā-vidhāna — 'according to the ordinance'); according to the ordinance; as prescribed
गुरोःguroḥthe teacher; of the guru
कर्मातिशेषेणkarmātiśeṣeṇain the time left over from service (karma-atiśeṣa, instrumental — 'with the remainder from duty'); in what remained after serving his teacher; over and above his duties to the guru
अभिसमावृत्यabhisamāvṛtyahaving returned (abhi-sam-ā + √vṛt — his study completed); having come home; having finished his studentship
कुटुम्बेkuṭumbeas a householder (kuṭumba, locative — 'in a family'); in the lineage; in his household
शुचौśucauin a clean (śuci, locative); in a pure; in an unpolluted
देशेdeśeplace (deśa, locative); spot; place
स्वाध्यायम्svādhyāyamthe recitation of the Veda (svādhyāya); the svādhyāya; the reading of the Veda
अधीयानःadhīyānaḥpractising (adhi + √i — 'studying'); reciting; studying
धर्मिकान्dharmikānthe righteous (dharmika, accusative plural); the pious; the dutiful
विदधत्vidadhatrearing (vi + √dhā — 'establishing'); bringing up; settling
आत्मनिātmaniin the Ātman; in himself
सर्वेन्द्रियाणिsarvendriyāṇiall the senses; all the organs of perception
संप्रतिष्ठाप्यsaṃpratiṣṭhāpyahaving gathered them in (sam-prati-ṣṭhāpya — 'having established them'); having established; having settled them
अहिंसन्ahiṃsandoing no harm (a-hiṁsat); injuring nothing; without violence
सर्वभूतानिsarvabhūtānito all beings; of all creatures
अन्यत्रanyatraexcept; elsewhere
तीर्थेभ्यःtīrthebhyaḥexcept in the cases scripture prescribes (tīrtha, ablative plural — 'apart from the appointed occasions'); save on the sacred occasions; apart from the prescribed places
सःsaḥhe; that one
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वर्तयन्vartayanliving so (from √vṛt, causative — 'passing his life'); spending his days; living thus
यावत्yāvatas long as; as far as
आयुषम्āyuṣamlife; the span of life
ब्रह्मलोकम्brahmalokamthe Brahman-world; the abode of Brahman
अभिसंपद्यतेabhisaṃpadyatehe enters (abhi-sam + √pad); attains; steps in
नnanot; no
चcaand; as well as
पुनःpunaḥagain; back
आवर्ततेāvartatehe returns (ā + √vṛt); he comes back; he returns
नnanot; no
चcaand; as well as
पुनःpunaḥagain; back
आवर्ततेāvartatehe returns (ā + √vṛt); he comes back; he returns
The last verse of the Chāndogya — and it is all about transmission and about a life. First the chain: Brahmā → Prajāpati → Manu → mankind. The knowledge we have heard for eight chapters was not composed — it was carried by relay from the Creator; the Upaniṣad takes its leave by presenting a pedigree, as truth should (evaṁ paramparā-prāptam — "thus it was received by succession", BG 4.2).
And then a portrait of the man for whom it was all written. Not a hermit! A householder: he studied with a guru, "in the time left over from his duties to his teacher" (even study did not exempt him from service!), returned, settled "in a pure place", recites the Veda, raises righteous children and pupils, "has gathered all his senses into the ātman", harms no one. An ordinary, honest, hallowed life — and to it, not to feats of asceticism, the greatest thing is promised: brahmalokam abhisampadyate — "he enters the world of Brahman and does not return".
So the upaniṣad of the singers closes: it began with the syllable Oṁ on a priest's lips (1.1.1) and ends with a household in which the Veda sounds over children. Between them there was room for the sāmans and the five fires, for tat tvam asi and the hoard underfoot, for Nārada's ladder and Indra's hundred and one years. And its last words are the ones for which all the singing was done: na ca punar āvartate — "and he does not return again". Twice, as everything irrevocable is. To a bhakti ear this "no return" is not the end of the road but its true beginning: they do not return here, because they remain there for ever, with their Lord, in the assembly, in the palace, in the play. Oṁ tat sat.